Akron, Vienna men arrested for possession and trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamine

Two men were arrested Monday on Interstate 77 in Washington County on charges of possessing and trafficking more than 14 grams of suspected fentanyl and more than 450 grams of suspected methamphetamine, according to the Washington County Major Crimes Task Force.

Bradley Allen Whitlatch, 43, 824 37th St., Vienna, was charged with one first-degree felony count of drug possession and one first-degree felony count of drug trafficking, and Tyren T. Thompson, 29, 879 N. Jenkins Blvd., Akron, was charged with one count of first-degree drug possession, a misdemeanor, one first-degree felony of drug trafficking and two misdemeanor counts of second-degree drug possession resulting from a traffic stop, the task force said. The traffic stop took place early Monday morning, the task force said.

A vehicle with West Virginia registration was observed committing a traffic violation. At that time, a traffic stop was conducted by task force members, the release said, and a canine officer was used to conduct an open air sniff and indicated the driver’s side of the vehicle.

The driver, Whitlatch, and the passenger, Thompson, were asked to exit the vehicle and they both consented to a search by detectives, during which it was determined that Thompson had a latex glove in his groin area containing a plastic bag containing approximately 14.21 grams of suspected fentanyl, the release said.

A search of the vehicle was conducted and a bag containing a box of cigars and a large plastic bag containing 459.73 grams of suspected methamphetamine was found inside the bag, according to the affidavit.

Whitlatch and Thompson were arrested and appeared in Marietta Municipal Court on Monday, where bail was set for each man at $1 million.

Both men remained in the Washington County Jail as of Tuesday evening, according to jail records.